Thought processes and conversations started under the tilted cap of Tropicana Field. Someday everyone will know the Rays play in St. Petersburg, Florida, not TAMPA, or the fictitious city of TAMPA BAY.

Could the Rays Hook Their Own Marlin Prize?

Just when you thought the Miami Marlins aka the MLB version of Save-a-Lot food stores might have exhausted their goodwill gesture to the rest of the MLB I have heard loud and clear that there might be another nice and tantalizing ballplayer the Tampa Bay Rays might want to kick the tires on and possibly bring into their fold for 2013.

Sure most of the potent 2012 version of the Marlins has vacated the South Beach region, but there is one unique player with some MLB credo that could be had for the right asking price. And an added bonus that should not only tweak but excite the Rays is the fact he is a young player who can play both an outfield corner position and First Base. If you asked the Marlins brass about this player you might be a mixed bag of opinions from him having an attitude problem to possibly not being “MLB material during the 2012 campaign, but this is the same franchise who sent him down a few times in 2012 and eagerly also promoted him as if neither of those situations had materialized.

This was the player chastised by the Marlins top tier who themselves are not even Double-A material after he did not attend a Miami Season Ticket event because he has done a previous event that same Sunday morning for the team and was told by his MLBPA Rep he did not have to make an appearance. He was then ripped inside out by the Marlins upper management then sent packing to Triple-A New Orleans, but seriously, if you are being disciplined doesn’t getting a ticket to the Big Easy seem more like a present than a punishment?

I found it kind if ironic Marlins owner Jeff Loria is more carpetbagger than baseball businessman called Morrison “an embarrassment” when what King Loria is currently doing to this South Florida franchise and their fan base is by itself humiliating and totally disrespectful. So if the Marlins top echelon really feels about Morrison like this, you would think a inter-state rival like the Rays could get Morrison for a song.

I can personally vouches for Morrison’s character having been around him for half a season doing some part-time gigs with the franchise. The guy was always accommodating, open to suggestion and fan friendly to a “T”. He would definitely not only fit into the Rays clubhouse, he could evolve and become a great addition with his zeal and gamesmanship. “LoMo” as some in the Miami zip code have come to call Morrison is actually an even-tempered, basically good ol’ boy who has some pop in his lumber posting 11 Home Runs and 36 RBI during his back-and-forth stints to Triple-A or the Disabled List in 2012. Morrison also could be another left-handed option for Maddon with Carlos Pena possibly not being in the financial cards for the team in 2013. And the Rays truly should look at LoMo’s 2012 numbers as a anomaly and instead look at his 2011 numbers that shows his true power (23 Hrs & 73 RBI) over a span of 123 games that season at the MLB level.

If the Marlins front office has such a distaste for the personality of Morrison, you would think their cross-state rival would not being asking for an arm or a leg, but possibly the Rays could offer them just that to secure Morrison. With the Rays having a bit of a logjam in pitching right now, possibly Rays Executive VP of Baseball Ops Andrew Friedman could suggest a nicely packaged offer of a Rays MLB caliber like SP/RP Wade Davis or maybe even SP Jeff Neimann. But if the recent change are any suggestion, the Marlins might want someone more like SP Alex Cobb or maybe bring in some Miami homegrown talent like INF Sean Rodriguez and possibly LHP Alexander Torres to part with Morrison.

I would like to think the Rays will call the Marlins GM Larry Beinfest and find a mutual ground the evolve and transpire some dialog that could end up with Logan possibly wearing a Rays uniform this Spring. All it takes is a first bit of conversation, possibly suggest the package above or another well-suited present the Marlins would salivate over and LoMo might find his way North to Tampa Bay. This situation could solve 2 roster holes currently vacant and needing filled in the Rays 25-man roster. Morrison can either man First Base, play a corner outfield position or be a strong and willing hammer off the bench. I see it as a ++ opportunity for the team, but then again, I have met the guy and know the ruse from 2012 is totally baloney and full of Marlins cheese.

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